The Best Holiday Tip
Holiday Tip (not a rant or directed at anyone, simply a life lesson): When you make plans for the holidays, it’s okay to start your own traditions. It’s even okay if those traditions change from year to year. The holidays, with their twinkling lights and festive cheer, often evoke...
The Real Supermom
I am not a “super mom” even though I have the t-shirt. What I am is a willing and present mom. A listening mom. A teaching in-the-moment mom. No matter what I am doing, I choose to stop when my children have questions or just need to tell me...
What’s in your garden?
Have you ever noticed that weeds don’t need any assistance to grow, even flourish, and take over any given space? Meanwhile, the plants we want require care and attention. As I prepare to go out and tackle the weeds today, I reflect on how many parables Jesus told relating...
The Most Important Freedom
All over the world, Americans celebrate freedom on the fourth of July. Cookouts, picnics, and fireworks with family and friends make the day festive. Yet the day is so much more than Hot Dogs and Fireworks. On July 2, 1776, Congress (then consisting of 13 colonies), declared their independence...
Little Women and the Babysitters Club
The idea for this post came following an unfortunate remake, a serendipitous discovery of an original, and my daughter realizing similarities in literature, at only 10 years old. My son has been at church camp for two weeks. When he is away, my daughter and I find fun “girl”...
Marriage is more than a Wedding
Last weekend, we attended a wedding. Actually, my husband handled the sound for the wedding, so we attended both the rehearsal and the event. I couldn’t help but have memories of my own wedding day. As the mothers of the bride and groom were escorted down the aisle by...
The Magic of Reading
We spend a significant amount of time in the car. Many years ago, we started listening to books in the car. We listen to some series over and over. In recent years, I’ve added to our listening library and included more classic literature and historical fiction. On a recent...
The Hospitalable Homemaker
Earlier this month we hosted the youth devotional in our home. Filling our house with worship, fellowship, and shenanigans of teenagers fills my heart with joy. I love welcoming others into our space, feeding them, and sharing life with them. I also enjoy those first few minutes of quiet...
Into the Fire
On a Tuesday in April of 2022, we left the house as usual for our weekly get-together/co-op. We left things as we typically do and planned to have a fun day with friends that would include looking at moon rocks at the university in town. We noticed huge billows...
Grace is a Chocolate Chip Cookie
Let me start this by saying, we have really excellent kids. We are blessed beyond measure and they surprise us daily with their wit, insight, and empathy. Even the best of us can have a “bad day.” Sometimes a bad mood is situational. Sometimes we “wake up on the...